but he is not short on stamina. He talks to Joe Pagnam as he prepares to run both the 10K and marathon for the 13th consecutive year.

Throughout the years Bermuda has played host to some of the world's finest runners during International Race Weekend. Bermudians have grown accustomed to rubbing shoulders with the sport's celebrities like Joan Benoit, Ron Hill, Grete Waitz or Steve Cram. They've come, raced and inspired local runners, and then gone home. But one "celebrity'' is Bermudian and some visitors actually come to Bermuda to run with him in the marathon, such is his presence in local running.

Ludwig Cann is not your average runner, and he rarely gets the recognition reserved for Bermuda running luminaries such as marathon recordholder Ray Swan or former May 24th champion Mike Watson.

Yet in his own unique style, he is an integral part of road running in Bermuda. Cann is a prolific racer who with his famous (and now thinning) ponytail can be seen at just about every local race from 5K through to the 26.2-mile marathon. Resplendent in personalised T-shirt and long socks, Cann, who now sports a white beard, is hard to miss. His trademark T-shirt says it all: "One in a million me.'' Cann, 65 last July, didn't take up running until he was 50, but until then had always maintained an active lifestyle, and spent a large part of his life involved with construction. "I used to turn concrete, and I've always kept fit,'' he says. He entered his first race on absolutely no training. "A lady told me about a 5 mile race at 9.30 that morning. I trained in the park for 50 minutes before the race. After the start I took off like a jet, and was walking by the first mile, but I carried on and still caught the rest of them up.'' Things haven't changed that much down the road, except that Cann does pace himself better. He is however, still renowned for his lightning starts, and during the early stages of the marathon, it is not unusual to see him running with the leaders. He attributes this tactic to his reluctance to warm up in a conventional manner.

"I'm a front runner. I warm up by taking off fast! I don't see why a person should waste time by warming up. One time another runner told me to warm up before a marathon, so I warmed up with him, but I pulled a muscle as soon as the race started, and had to limp all the way - 26.2 miles, but I still came in.'' Long distance runners are strongly advised to take in plenty of fluids, particularly in a race such as the marathon where water stops are frequent on the course. A runner who doesn't drink, despite feeling fine, has a good chance of dehydrating and putting himself at serious risk. Cann believes in drinking plenty of fluids before a race, but feels that drinking whilst running is not so good. He has been known to imbibe something stronger than water or glucose-based drinks. "I'll have a shot before the race, and in the marathon sometimes take a Bloody Mary at Flatts or Spanish Point. It's good for you!'' As might be expected, he is not a health food disciple, he eats anything, and it obviously works well for him. Although he exudes a wicked irreverence and sense of humour which can make him appear almost youthful, don't be fooled.

Cann is deadly serious when it comes to running, and his trophy for first runner aged over 60 in the ADT Bermuda Marathon is proudly displayed in the Captain's Lounge on Reid Street, which is his base. It's easy for competitive runners to dismiss people like Cann, whose best marathon time is four hours and 20 minutes, but it's people like him who make road races successful. Every person makes up the numbers, and Cann does possess some of his own special records, apart from his charismatic presence.

"I've run twelve 26 milers and twelve 10Ks,'' he states. Nothing special, you might think, but he is referring to twelve consecutive Race Weekends where he has run the 10K (6.2 miles) on Saturday, then the marathon on Sunday.

Already he is planning on making this year number 13 and not content to simply double-up, he plans to run the new half-marathon, then go on to complete the full marathon but he is unlikely to get his wish. Race officials say runners will not be allowed to enter both races and must choose one or the other.

It is almost impossible to nail Cann down regarding his training methods, and he's definitely not the sort of runner who meticulously records mileage and distance.

He will sometimes run five miles in the morning, or 10 in the afternoon, and relaxes by walking. His approach to racing does possess it's own type of logic, and whilst slightly unorthodox compared to the conventional school of thought on race preparation, does show that he is psychologically on the cutting edge.

"You don't have to train for a race by just running. As long as your body is fit, it's mostly in the mind. A lot of people train too much and get messed up by all the pressure on their legs. I mostly run just to relax, not for speed.'' Cann finds it harder to relax since he gave up smoking last year. He smoked for 50 years, and for just about all his running career. He says his decision to stop was brought about by his annoyance at people constantly asking him for cigarettes, rather than for medical reasons! He recalls a visit to a doctor before he started running. "The doctor asked me if I ran, and told me I had a good heart. He said I should try running, which is when I started, but I still kept smoking. Now that I've stopped, my nerves are all to pieces, but I do feel better after the race.'' On one running-related aspect however, he is right in tune with the high-tech 1990s. He will spend around $120 for the latest type of running shoe, and even when not training can be seen in a fancy pair of Asics.

He is justly proud of his ability to race regularly at an age when most of his more sedentary counterparts will complain about climbing the stairs, and regrets he took up running so late in life.

"If I'd started early, nobody would touch me. I'd be a top runner, like lightning. A hot number!'' Some of the younger runners he used to chase in the early days have quit for various reasons, but Cann clearly has no intentions of stopping. He loves the crowds, especially those at Race Weekend and May 24th half-marathon.

"I am a spectator runner. With all the crowds during May 24th, you can't stop.'' At 65, Ludwig Cann, pictured at the Captain's Louge, regrets he did not start running until his 50s.

RG MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 1993